Training with Kenshiko (Continued)


    Kaede stood in the shadowed doorway of the dojo, her arms folded across her chest. She had been watching Ash from the moment he stepped onto the training floor, but she had made sure to stay out of sight, hidden from view. It wasn''t that she didn''t trust him—no, it was more that she was curious. Curious to see how far Ash was willing to go to fit into this strange, polished world he was about to enter.


    She had always known Ash was different. His strength, his sharp mind, and his capacity for survival were undeniable. But what he was learning now wasn''t something that could be trained through sheer willpower. This was finesse, manipulation, a game of masks and personas. The kind of game where one misstep could be fatal.


    As Kenshiko led Ash through his movements, Kaede found herself unconsciously mirroring some of their motions in her mind, watching how each step seemed to change Ash''s posture, how each shift in his body language felt deliberate, calculated. His movements were stiff at first, clumsy even, as if he were trying on a new identity that didn''t quite fit.


    But there was something in his eyes—a spark of determination. She recognized it. It was the same fire that had driven him to survive through impossible odds, the same drive that had pushed him to take down enemies far stronger than himself. Kaede smirked, a small, almost amused expression tugging at the corner of her mouth. Ash might not have the natural ease of a socialite, but he had the will to master it. And that was more dangerous than anything else.


    Kenshiko was ruthless in her teachings, as she always was. But Kaede couldn''t deny that Ash needed this. He might have spent most of his life in the shadows, but now he had to learn how to move in the light. The Keiretsu wouldn''t care about his past. They would only care about what he could offer them now, and whether or not he had the sharpness to play their game.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Kaede''s fingers tapped against her arm, the soft rhythm marking the passage of time as she watched Ash struggle, then adjust, then struggle again. He''s learning, she thought, a small flicker of respect rising in her chest. Learning to bend without breaking.


    She almost stepped forward to offer him help, but then stopped herself. Ash wasn''t the type to ask for assistance. Not unless he absolutely had to. And in a way, Kaede admired that stubborn streak in him. It made him... unpredictable. It made him dangerous.


    She glanced over at Kenshiko, whose expression remained stern and unreadable as she observed Ash. There was something more than mentorship in the way Kenshiko taught. She was crafting Ash into something, molding him into a tool of sorts—a tool that would fit perfectly into the intricate gears of the Keiretsu machine. And Kaede couldn''t help but wonder what role Ash would play once he was fully shaped.


    As Ash began to practice his stance in front of the mirror, Kaede let out a quiet breath, the sound barely audible. She wasn''t sure what the future held for him, or for them all, but one thing was certain: this new world of social games and power struggles was not going to be easy for any of them.


    But for now, she could only watch and wait as Ash learned to navigate a battlefield of a different kind. The rules here weren''t about strength. They were about perception, manipulation, and control. And Kaede knew, no matter how much Ash fought it, he was going to have to play by those rules.


    With a final, lingering glance at Ash, she turned away, her footsteps silent on the polished floor. She didn''t need to stay to see more. She knew that Ash had the fire to adapt—even if it burned him in the process.


    As the dojo door clicked softly behind her, Kaede''s mind wandered to the party. It was just a matter of time before they would all step into the lion''s den. And she couldn''t shake the thought that Ash might become the lion himself.